Web-replenishing mechanism



Nov. 27, 1928.

L693Al36 c. E. DRANGE WEB REPLENISHING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 2;, 1925 s Sheets-Sheef 1 Nov, 27, 1928.

1,693,436 c. E. ORANGE WEB REPLENISHING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 21, 1925 5 Shgets-Sheet 2 3- 4- V avwawto'c Nov. 27, 1928.

c. E. DRANGE WEB REPLENISHING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 21, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 New 27, 1928.

3,693,436 c. E. DRANGE WEB REPLENISHING MECHANI SM Filed Oct. 21 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 351 M Gama;

I Nov. 27, 1928.

c. E. DRANGE WEB REPLENISHING MECHANISM Filed 0st 21, 1925 3&1 abhor/nu;

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Uar/EDra/gqe Nov. 27, 1928.

1,693,436 c. E. DRANGE WEB REPLENISHING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 21, 1925 e Sheets-Sheet e Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

CARL E. DRANGE, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ISABELLA SCOTT AND DAVID J'. SCOTT, EXECUTORS OF THE ESTATE OF WALTER SCOTT, DECEASED, DOING BUSINESS UNDER WALTER SCOTT & COMPANY, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

WEB-REPLDNISHING MECHANISM.

Application filed October 21, 1925. Serial No. 63,817.

This invention relates generally to a method and means to be used in printing, foldingor other web-pulling machines for uninterruptedly feeding a web of flexible material while changing from an employed roll to a replenishing roll.

This invention embodies the method and -means disclosed in application Ser. No. 44,-

506, filed July 18, 1925, in which a surplus is accumulated in an employed web to slow down or stopl a portion of the employed web so that anot er Web may be attached thereto and is, therefore,subsidiary to said application.

The main object and feature of this invention is to provide a method and means whereby the replenishing roll may be started up before the replenishing web is attached to the employed web, a portion of the replenishing web nevertheless standing still, or approximately? so, at the time the two webs are changed. e

Other features of the invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is disclosed in several concrete and preferred forms in which:

L Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of a machine embodying the invention I Fig. 2 is an end view, partly in section, in the plane of line 22 of Fig; 1:

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, butin section in the plane of line 33 of Fig. 2, showing the device at the beginning of its cycle of movements:

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, with the parts in the position they occupy during the period of inactionof the device:

Fig. 5 .is an enlarged view of the lower part of Fig. 3 with the parts shown in the position they occupy at the time the old web is severed: and

Fig 6 is a diagrammatic View showing a modified form of the invention.

104 indicates a web surplus accumulating and dissipating device, here taking the form of a carriage that reciprocates in horizontal guides 150 and carries at its end a roll 105,

.which, when moved to the extreme righthand position (Figs. 3 or 4), accumulates a surplus in the web between stationary rolls 106 and 107. 102 indicates an auxiliary web surplus accumulating and dissipating device, here taking the 'form of a carriage that reciprocates in vertical guides 151 and carries two rolls 103 and 103*, which, when moved in a downward direction (Figs. 3, 4 and 5), accumulates a surplus in both the employed and the replenishing webs between rolls 100, 101 and 103 and 103. The two devices act in opposition to each other that is, when one device is accumulating a surplus, the other is dissipating it, and vice versa. Any suitable means may be used to actuate these devices but, in the present instance, 152 indicates a shaft suitably driven from the web-pulling machine indicated diagrammatically at 153. 154 indicates another shaft having a one-revolution clutch 155 which, when thrown in, couples sprocket 156 to shaft 155. Sprocket 156 is driven from shaft 152 by means of sprocket 157 and chain 158. 159 is a shaft driven by means of bevel gears 160 from shaft 154; and 159 carries a crank arm 161 and a connection 162 is interposed between the crank arm and carriage 104. Shaft 159 also carries a sprocket 163 which drives sprocket 164 by means of chain 165; and sprocket 164 is fast on shaft 166 that carries a crank arm 167; and a connection 168 is interposed between the crank arm and carriage 102.

1 is a web roll from which leads web 2 pass ing over spring roller 3 and roller 4 beneath tension roller 5 to roll 100 and thence around er 40, tension roller 41, roll 101, roll 103 and up through the machine to gripper or clamp 123. There is a similar gripper or clamp 122 on the other side of the webs to be used when web 2 is the replenishing web and 37 is the employed web. 108 and 109 indicate two web-attaching members coming on opposite sides of the two webs and arranged face to face, said members here being shown as two arms loosely mounted in centers 100 and 101 and normally held in an upright position by ,the tension of the web; but it is to be distinctly understood that the employment of this automatic tension device is optional and I does not form a necessary part of my invention. Mounted on carriage 102 are rolls 114 vand 115; and carried. by members 108 and 109 are cams 116 and 117 and these cams and rolls cooperate to move members 108 and 109 toward and away from each otherwhen carriage 102 reciprocates. If desired, members 108 and 109 may be swung down out of the wa as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, an have, for that purpose, handles 170; and 171 indicate latches for holding said members in their lowered position. Suitable severing devices are provided consisting of severing members 120 and 121 plvotally supported at 172 and these severing devices are actuated by cams 17 3 acting against rolls 174 unless prevented from so doing by removable pins 175 in which case springs 176 take up the motion of the cams and the severing members are not actuated. Means are preferably rovided for setting the deviceautomatically in motion, these means here consisting of a latch 177 that normally holds clutch 155 out by-engaging pin 178 carried by rod 179 and thereby preventing spring 180 from actuatin hell crank 181 that in turn controls the clutch. Latch 177 is on a rod 182 which, when pulled to the right in the drawings, is lifted by pin 183 thereby disengaging pm 178 and allowing spring 180 to act. Rod 182 is connected tobell crank .184 and from the latter extends operating rod 185 vertlcally down through the machine and is provided at its lower end with head 186. 187 denotes arms ivoted at 188 and normally urged upward by spring 189 and when free so to do these arms move upward against head 186 and thus throw in clutch 155. Normally,

' these arms are restrained from movin u its roll 105 will be in the position at the eX- treme right in Fig, 4, while, at the same time, member 102 and its rolls 103 and 103' will be in the uppermost position. Assuming that the printing machine is running at printing speed and it is desired to change a web roll, web 37 is now passed over rolls 39, 40, 41, 101 and 103 and up between jaws 108 and 109 which latter may at this time be separated as much as may be desired and the end of web 37 is placed in a gripper 123 or other web-securing device and has its end pasted. The accumulating devices are now started in operation thereby causing member 104 to move to the left and member 102 to move down. Meanwhile, we will assume that the printing machine remains at printing speed and that jaws 108 and 109 are still slightly separated. Member 104 and roll 105 now move to the left in the drawing at first slowly and then more rapidly until say an intermediate position of roll 105 is attained. At the same time, member 102 is moving downward, at first slowly and then more rapidly, until, say, an intermediate position of rolls 103 and 103 is attained. During this action (from full to intermediate position) the printing machine will draw at first very little of the'sur- .plus of accumulatingdevice 104 but will draw most of the required web from roll 1. As the accumulating devices speed up, however, the printing machine will draw more and more from the surplus of accumulating device 104 and less and less from roll 1 until finally, at the intermediate position, the printing machine can draw its entire supply from the surplus of 104 and nothing at all from roll 1.

.The web section between the jaws 108 and 109 is now standing still (or if desired may move slightly). At this time, owing to downward movement of member 102, rollers 114 and 115 act on cams 116 and 117 and close jaws 108 and 109 thereby pasting the two webs together. The jaws then separate and member 120 then severs web 2 by reason of the downward movement of mm 173, its pin 175 having been previously withdrawn by hand; pin 17 5 of member 121, however, remains in position and cam 173 therefore does not actuate said member 121. Considering now what happens to web 37, it will be understood that as soon as member 102 commences its downward movement, from its uppermost position, roll 103 will commence to draw web 37, at first very slowly, and then. more rapidly, until the intermediate position is reached when web 37 'will attain full printing speed. The substitute roll 38 will therefore have been brought up to speed before pasting takes place; or, to put it differently, webs 2 and 37 will, of necessity, move at substantially the same speed. The sections of both webs be-u tweenthe first and second accumulating devices, may, however, be at rest, or substantially so, so that sections of both webs are substantially at a standstill at the moment they are joined together. The pasting now having taken place, the jaws separate. During the continued downward movement of rolls 103 and 103 from the intermediate positionto the lower position, their motion is gradually retarded as is also the movement of roll 105 from the intermediate position to the left-hand position. The result is that the printing machine begins to move both' web sections (the end of web 37 slipping out of the gripper 122 which latter may be opened mechanically) at first very slowly, and then more quickly until said lower and left-hand position is reached, the speed of roll 38 remaining substantially constant. When the upward stroke of rolls 103. and 103 and the right-hand stroke of roll 105 takes place, the

web is running at full speed but the surplus of the second accumulating device is being dissipated and the surplus of the first accumulating device is being created, one balancing the other. On the upward stroke, rolls 114 and 115 pass inside cams 116 and 117 so that no second closing of the jaws 108 and 109 takes place.

* As soon as clutch 155 has been thrown in,

' arm 187 can be drawn down anda pin inserted in opening 192 thereby keeping it in normal position, and when shaft 154 has made one revolution clutch 155 throws it self automatically out and latch 177 becomes again active to hold pin 178. Another roll is now. substituted in place of roll 1 and pin 192 may now be withdrawn. Before the next roll change takes place, pin 175 of member 120 is placed in position and pin 17 5 of member 121 is removed.

In Fig. 6, a modification of the invention is shown, the only dilferenoe being that rolls 103, 103 and 105 are all carried by the same member 122, there being in this case a stationary roll 124 by means of which roll 105 forms its surplus, that is to say, the main and auxiliary web surplus accumulating and dissipating devices are both carried by the same reciprocating member. Otherwise the action is the same as in the form of the invention first mentioned.

It will be seen from the foregoing description of the different forms of the invention, that one feature thereof resides in the method of accumulating a surplus in a web of flexible material to thereby start rotation of a-web roll, such as the replenishing.

.roll, while holding the leading end of the web stationary and attaching another web, such as the employed web, to the leading end of. the first web "and then dissipating the surplus. In another aspect of the invention the method consists in accumulating a surplus in the emplo ed web and dissipating it'to slow down t espeed of a portion of the web, accumulating another surplus in the employed web in rear of the first surplus, while the first surplus is being dissipated, and simultaneously therewith accumulating a surplus in the replenishing web while holding its leading end stationary, and attaching the two webs together, while the first surplus is being dissipated and the second surplus is being accumulated, in a zone intermediate the points of dissipation and accumulation.

Looking at this invention from another angle, it will be understood from the foregoing that there is always a surplus present in the stretch of Web between the web roll and the web pulling machine; and that it is the transfer of this surplus from one place .in the web to another that accomplishes the slowing down of the web.-- Thus, when the web surplus is transferred to the lower rolls 103 and 103, the stretch of web between rolls 103, 103* and 105 is slowed down or stopped and when the surplus is transferred to roll 105 the web stretch in questio n is speeded It will also be understood that. while the cycle of the machine, during a roll change, has been described as beginning with a downward movement of rolls 103 and 103 and ending with the completion of their upstroke,

this has been done merely by way of e::- I

ample obviously the cycle could begin with an upstroke of rolls 103 and 103*" and end with the completion of their down stroke; or, the roll change can take place on the down stroke of rolls 103 and 103 and the upstroke can be made at an time thereafter, in which case the cycle wou d be broken up, as it were, into several independent movements.

I claim:

1. The method of joining two webs of flexible material which consists in: accumulating a surplus in a replenishing web to thereby start rotation of its web roll while holding the leading end of the web stationary, attaching an employed web to the leading end of the replenishing web, and then dissipating the surplus by gradually speeding up the leading end of the replenishing web.

iao

first surplus is being dissipated and the sec- 0nd surplus is being accumulated'in a zone intermediate the points of dissipation and accumulation. I

3. The method f two Webs of ible material which consists in: accumulating a surplus in an employed web, dissipating said surplus to thereby slow down the speed of the web in rear of the surplus, starting up movement of a replenishing web roll while holding the leading end of the replenishing roll stationary, and attaching the slowed-. down portion. of the employed web to the leading end of the replenishing web.

4. A web-pulling machine, two sources of supply of web material, one an employed roll and another a replenishing roll, and means for changing from one web roll to another including two web surplus accumulating and dissipating devices, one main and the other auxiliary, acting oppositely on the web so that when one is accumulating a surplus the other is dissipating another surplus and vice versa.

5. A web-pulling machine, two sources of supply of web material, one an employed roll and another a replenishing roll, means for changing from one web roll to another including two web surplus accumulating and dissipating devices, one main and the other auxiliary, acting oppositely on the employed web so that when one is accumulating a. surplus the other is dissipating another surplus and vice versa, and opposed members to press together two webs from the two rolls while the main device is dissipating a surplus.

6. A web-pulling machine, two sources of supply of web material, one an employed roll and another a replenishing roll, means for changing from one web roll to another including two web surplus accumulating and dissipating devices, one main and the other auxiliary, acting oppositely on the employed web so that when one is accumulating a surplus the other is dissipatin another surplus and vice versa, and opposed members, to press together two webs from the two rolls, located intermediate the two web surplus accumulating and dissipating devices.

7 A web-pulling machine, twosources of supply of web material, one an employed roll and another a replenishing roll, means for clamping the leading end of the replenishing web, a web surplus accumulating and dissipating device to act on the employed web between the web-pulling machine and the clamping means, and an auxihary web surplus accumulating and dissipating device he tween theclamp and the sources of supply to act on both of the webs and timed to accumulate a surplus while the first device is dissipating a surplus and vice versa.

8. A. web-pulling machine, two sources of supply of web material, one an employed roll and another a replenishing roll, means for clamping the leading end of the replenishing web, aweb surplus accumulating and dissipating device to act on the employed web between the web-pulling machine and the clamping means, anauxiliary web surplus accumulating and dissipating device between the clamp and the sourcesofsupply toact onboth of the webs and timed to accumulate a surplus while the first device is dissipating asurplus and vice versa, and means for attaching the two webs together at a point intermediate the first and second devices.

device.

10. A web-pulling machine, two sources of supply of web material, one an employed roll and another a replenishing roll, means for changing from one web roll to another including two web surplus accumulating and dissipating devices, one main and the other auxiliary, acting oppositely on the employed web so that when one is accumlating a surplus the other is dissipating another surplus and vice versa, opposed members to press together two webs from the two rolls, severing means for the employed web, and means to actuate said severing means.

11. A web-pulling machine, two sources of supply of web material, one an employed roll and another a replenishing roll, means for changing from one web roll to another including two web surplus accumulating and dissipating devices, one main and the other auxiliary, acting oppositely on the employed Web so that when one is accumulating a surplus the other is dissipating another surplus and vice versa, opposed members to press together two webs from the two rolls, severing meansto sever the employed web, and means to actuate said severing means by movement of the auxiliary device.

12. A webulling machine, two sources of supply of web material, one an employed roll and another a replenishing roll, means for changing from one web roll to another includ ing two web surplus accumulating and dissipating devices, one main and the other auxiliary, acting oppositely on the employed web so that when one is accumulating a surplus the other is dissipating another surplus and vice-versa, opposed members to press together two webs from the two rolls, severing means to sever the employed web, and means to actuate the opposed members and the severing means by movementof the auxiliary device.

13. Web-attachin means including: two opposed arms pivota ly supported, and means for moving said arms'toward and away from each other including a reciprocating memher and complementary cam means on the arms and member actuated by the movement of the'reciprocating member.

14. Web-attaching means including: two opposed arms pivotally supported, and means for moving said arms toward and awayfrom each other including a reciprocating member and complementary cam means between the reciprocating member and arms to move the arms toward each other during the stroke of the reciprocating member in one direction and to separate them during the stroke of the reciprocating member in the other direction.

15. VVeb-attachin means including: two

opposed arms pivota 1y supported, and means for moving said arms toward and away from each other including a reciprocating web surplus accumulating and dissipating device, I

' and complementary cam means between said device and the arms actuated by the movement of the recipro-catin device.

16. Web-replenishing means including: a surplus accumulating and dissipating device normally inactive, actuating means for said device, a one-revolution clutch to connect and dlsconnect the actuatlng means and the dissipating device, means for normally holding I such clutch out, a source of supply including a web roll, and means for throwing in the clutch when the diameter of the web roll has been diminished to a certain extent.

17. Web-replenishing means including: a web surplus accumulating and dissipating device normally inactive, a source of. supply including a web roll, actuating means to drive said device, a one-revolution clutch to connect and disconnect the actuating means and the device, means for normally holding the clutch out, and means controlled by the diameter of the roll to throw the clutch in.

18. Web-replenishing means including: a web surplus accumulating and dissipating device having a back-and-forth movement, a rotating crank to actuate the device, making one revolution to each back-and-forth movement of the device, a connection between the crank and the device, actuating means'to drive the crank and normally'disconnected therefrom, a one-revolution clutch to connect the actuating means and the crank, means for normally holding the clutch out, a source of supply of material including a Web roll, and means controlled by the diameter of the Web roll to throw in the clutch.

19. The method of joining two webs of flexible material which consists in transfer ring a surplus from one point in a web to another point therein to thereby slow down the 7 speed of a portion of the web intermediate the two points, and attaching a second web to the slowed-down portion of the first web.

20, The method of joining two webs of flexible material which consists in transferring a surplus from one point'in a Web to another point therein to thereby slow down the speed of a portion of the web intermediate the two points, attaching a second web to the slowed-down portion of the first web, and transferring the surplus in the web from the other point back to the first point.

Signed at New York in the county of New York, and State of'New York, this 20th day of October, 1925.

CARL E. DRANGE. 

